Tonight's 'Let the Rocks Speak' talk by Philip Bell is being held here: http://www.rugbyelim.org.uk/However, Rugby Creation Science Group has a different phone number - 01788 575892 - so presumably is based elsewhere in the town.

a_haworthroberts wrote:Tonight's 'Let the Rocks Speak' talk by Philip Bell is being held here: http://www.rugbyelim.org.uk/However, Rugby Creation Science Group has a different phone number - 01788 575892 - so presumably is based elsewhere in the town.

I cannot find any definitive information online about the highly qualified Dr Richard M Barrett the Chair of the group.

I plan a second post - after a closer look at their website.

Richard Barrett appears to be a chemist. I've never heard of this group. Generally these small town creation groups rarely survive, even in places like Deep South of the USA. There are not enough nutters to keep them going.

a_haworthroberts wrote:Tonight's 'Let the Rocks Speak' talk by Philip Bell is being held here: http://www.rugbyelim.org.uk/However, Rugby Creation Science Group has a different phone number - 01788 575892 - so presumably is based elsewhere in the town.

I cannot find any definitive information online about the highly qualified Dr Richard M Barrett the Chair of the group.

I plan a second post - after a closer look at their website.

Richard Barrett appears to be a chemist. I've never heard of this group. Generally these small town creation groups rarely survive, even in places like Deep South of the USA. There are not enough nutters to keep them going.

There isn't very much on the website, but they have attracted some 'big name' YEC speakers.

As it happens, the Biblical Creation Society has a postal address in Rugby as well.

I also came across a pdf at http://www.reviverugby.net/Publisher/File.aspx?id=89537 - this is concerning a wider local Christian initiative or series of initiatives but the pdf document - carelessly I suspect - bills the creation science events as 'training for understanding'. The contact for these events is a Mel J Foster. The pdf also mentions a recent talk by Rev'd Tim Norman on 'Is God disproved by science?'; it is not clear whether this talk was a YEC/OEC talk or merely scientific apologetics/theistic evolution. I tend to suspect the latter; there is little sign that Norman has a science background or focus - he is an 'Associate Vicar with responsibility for Discipleship, Outreach, Small Groups and Youth & Children's Ministries'. The website link offered for this is: http://www.m2o.org.uk (I found the information about Tim Norman from this website).

There's a Richard Barrett at the University of Lincoln and according to Wikipedia the University's Forensic Science department has been one of only four Universities in the UK accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the department's BSc (Hons) Forensic Science course is accredited by the Forensic Science Society. However he also appears to have the qualification 'MSc by Research' - which is not included in the list after his name on the RCSG website. I think this Richard Barrett is a post-graduate student - he and some other students apparently recently presented their work at the RSC’s Analytical Research Forum held at the University of Manchester. Richard presented a poster on his research entitled ‘Electrochemical sensors for defence and security’. http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/fabs/WhatsNew/ ... 202011.htm

On balance I suspect this is the wrong Richard Barrett.

On the other hand, there seems to be a Richard Barrett, Associate Head of Department, Industrial Design at Coventry University. He's one of the RBs listed here. http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/richard-barrett/10/9bb/a14 But his academic background does not really appear to be chemistry! So I'm ruling him out too, despite his proximity to Rugby.

I am also puzzled as to what FWMS after the Rugby Richard Barrett's name could possibly stand for...

On the Facebook page for the RCSG their postcode is listed as CV21 3NQ. A search based on that takes me to either 22 or 24 Cambridge Street Rugby - almost opposite the Rugby Christian Fellowship at 46 Cambridge Street - where their evening meetings are held.

Had I heard about them in sufficiently in advance, I might have been tempted to take myself off to either the Steve Taylor or the Philip Bell talks (on the age of the Earth and on rocks) and take notes and perhaps ask a question if that is allowed (how about "is it correct that you believe that anybody who disagrees with your creationist beliefs is lying in some way and also has no rational, logical argument?"). Cambridge Street appears close to Rugby rail station, which is easy to travel to from London Euston (though I would need to book a taxi from Bromley to Euston too). The forthcoming talks early in 2013 sound a bit less interesting - Stuart Burgess 22 January, Stephen Hayes 12 March, Andy McIntosh 21 May - but I'll keep an eye out.

Probably not. I think questioning is proscribed on their home territories to their accolytes. Lest any be tempted to think for themselves.

Andy McIntosh 21 May - but I'll keep an eye out.

Having seen the dvd of his talk to the birmingham skeptics I can honestly say he is genuinely insane. It is impossible to gather any coherent argument at all from the disconnected blathering stuff he comes out with. And it is infomation poor, ie very little information. Not enough to form a concept to ask a question about. So clearly not an intelligently designed talk. One to be avoided unless on hallucenogenic drugs - when it might make sense.

The CE bishops want women bishops but the CE laity don't, apparently.

who on earth are these laity people!!! My friend is going to boycott her CofE church until it is sorted.

Nobody seems to like women The RC church don't, the creationist fundies certainly don't even Richard Dawkins and the new atheists don't (unless topless or serious victims of religion). And now neither do the CofE.

So heaven gonna be much like 1980s earth, load of sexist angels patting you on the bum and god asking you to make the tea dearie but not letting you get promoted .NOt much incentive for women to become christians at all really!

Are the laity where the creationist loonies hang out by any chance? What on earth are they? Some real idiot was on the radio this morning saying women were equal but different in the church thats why they couldn't be bishops. And a brilliant woman telling him what a bunch of bollocks that was as being free to make the tea, do flowers and clean the church was not really equal by anyones standards!!.

cathy wrote:Are the laity where the creationist loonies hang out by any chance? What on earth are they? Some real idiot was on the radio this morning saying women were equal but different in the church thats why they couldn't be bishops. And a brilliant woman telling him what a bunch of bollocks that was as being free to make the tea, do flowers and clean the church was not really equal by anyones standards!!.

The irony is that the titular head of the Church of England is QE2 and she has been since the early 1950s (60 years)

But, wait a minute, she wasn't the first. The was Queen Victoria who was head for 64 years and QE1 was head for 45 years. Queen Mary (William III's wife) was also titular head for 5 years and Queen Anne for 12 years.

Overall, in 450 years, the Church of England has been headed by women for 186 years.

Jeez, women can run the country but, apparently, are not fit and proper people to replace some old cobweb covered/moth ridden bishop whose forgotten how to tie his shoe laces.